Minnesota House of Representatives
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |
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| General Information | |
| Party control: | Democrat |
| Session start: | January 14, 2025 |
| Session end: | May 19, 2025 |
| Term length: | 2 years |
| Term limits: | None |
| Redistricting: | Legislative control |
| Salary: | $51,750/year + per diem |
| Members | |
| Total: | 134 |
| Democrats: | 66 |
| Republicans: | 67 |
| Other: | 0 |
| Vacancies: | 0 |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker: | Lisa Demuth (R) |
| Maj. Leader: | Harry Niska (R) |
| Min. Leader: | Zack Stephenson (D) |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Minnesota State Legislature. Alongside the Minnesota State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Minnesota state government and works alongside the governor of Minnesota to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Minnesota House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.
What you will find on this page
This page contains information on the Minnesota House of Representatives that is curated and updated by Ballotpedia staff. Click on the arrows (▼) below for information and research on party control, elections, members, legislation, sessions, procedures, committees, and districts.
Party Control: current and historical information on party control of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Party control
Current partisan control
The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Minnesota House of Representatives as of November 2025:
| Party | As of November 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 66 | |
| Republican Party | 67 | |
| Independent | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 134 | |
History of partisan control
As a result of the 2024 elections, Republicans began the 2025 legislative session with a 67-66 majority, with a special election to fill a vacancy scheduled for January 28.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Minnesota House following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Minnesota House of Representatives election results: 1992-2024
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 87 | 71 | 70 | 63 | 65 | 52 | 66 | 85 | 87 | 62 | 73 | 62 | 57 | 75 | 70 | 70 | 66 |
| Republicans | 47 | 63 | 64 | 71 | 69 | 82 | 68 | 49 | 47 | 72 | 61 | 72 | 77 | 59 | 64 | 64 | 67 |
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats in Minnesota held a state government trifecta for two years between 1992 and 2017. The table below shows state government trifectas in Minnesota from 1992 to 2017.
Minnesota Party Control: 1992-2025
Four years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I | I | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | S |
Elections: election data from 2000 to the present
Elections
Elections by year
Minnesota state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Minnesota holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2026
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
2024
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was August 13, 2024. The filing deadline was June 4, 2024.
In the 2024 elections, Republicans won three seats in the chamber, earning a 67-66 majority with one vacancy.
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 68 | 66 | |
| Republican Party | 64 | 67 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 134 | 134 | |
2022
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 9, 2022. The filing deadline was May 31, 2022.
In the 2022 elections, Republicans gained one seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, but Democrats retained a majority in the chamber.
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 69 | 70 | |
| Republican Party | 63 | 64 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 134 | 134 | |
2020
Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline was June 2, 2020.
In the 2020 elections, Republicans gained five seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives, but Democrats retained a majority in the chamber.
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 75 | 70 | |
| Republican Party | 59 | 64 | |
| Total | 134 | 134 | |
2018
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2018. The open primary election took place on August 14, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was June 5, 2018.[1]
In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained control of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 56 | 75 | |
| Republican Party | 77 | 59 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 134 | 134 | |
2016
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 31, 2016. All 134 seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 73-61 majority. Republicans gained three seats in the election, giving them a 76-57 majority with one vacancy.
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 61 | 57 | |
| Republican Party | 73 | 76 | |
| Vacancy | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 134 | 134 | |
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2014Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 12, 2014, and a general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, 2014. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 73-61 majority. Democrats lost 11 seats in the election, giving Republicans a 72-62 majority.
2012Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on August 14, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was June 5, 2012. All 134 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 72-61 majority with one vacancy. Republicans lost 11 seats in the election, giving Democrats a 73-61 majority.
The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012.
2010Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on August 10, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was July 20, 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held an 87-47 majority. Democrats lost 25 seats in the election, giving Republicans a 72-62 majority.
In 2010, the candidates for state House raised a total of $6,377,405 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[2]
2008Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on September 9, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total of contributions to House candidates was $8,361,168. The top 10 contributors were:[3]
2006Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on September 12, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total of contributions to House candidates was $7,533,257. The top 10 contributors were:[4]
2004Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on September 14, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total of contributions to House candidates was $8,114,613. The top 10 contributors were:[5]
2002Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on September 10, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total of contributions to House candidates was $6,574,022. The top 10 contributors were:[6]
2000Elections for the office of Minnesota House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on September 12, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total of contributions to House candidates was $6,590,160. The top 10 contributors were:[7]
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Members: current leadership and membership list and information on salaries and qualifications
Members
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. Duties of the Speaker include preserving order and decorum, appointing the Chief Sergeant at Arms and signing all acts, address, joint resolutions, writs, warrants and subpoenas of the House.[8][9]
Current leadership and members
- House speaker: Lisa Demuth (R)
- Speaker Pro Tempore: Tony Albright (R)
- Majority leader: Harry Niska (R)
- Minority leader: Zack Stephenson (D)
- Assistant Majority Leader: Dan Fabian (R)
- Assistant Majority Leader: Kelly Fenton (R)
- Assistant Majority Leader: Randy Jessup (R)
- Assistant Majority Leader: Jim Nash (R)
- Assistant Majority Leader: Marion O'Neill (R)
- Assistant Majority Leader: Roz Peterson (R)
- Majority Whip: Ron Kresha (R)
- Deputy Minority Leader: Jon Applebaum (D)
- Deputy Minority Leader: Paul Marquart (D)
- Deputy Minority Leader: Rena Moran (D)
- Assistant Minority Leader: Rob Ecklund (D)
- Assistant Minority Leader: Mike Freiberg (D)
- Assistant Minority Leader: Laurie Halverson (D)
- Assistant Minority Leader: Ben Lien (D)
- Assistant Minority Leader: Dave Pinto (D)
| Current members, Minnesota House of Representatives (134) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Representative | Party | Assumed office |
| 1A | Dan Fabian | Republican | 2011 |
| 1B | Debra Kiel | Republican | 2011 |
| 2A | Matthew Grossell | Republican | 2017 |
| 2B | Steve Green | Republican | 2013 |
| 3A | Rob Ecklund | Democratic | 2015 |
| 3B | Mary Murphy | Democratic | 1977 |
| 4A | Ben Lien | Democratic | 2013 |
| 4B | Paul Marquart | Democratic | 2001 |
| 5A | John Persell | Democratic | 2019 |
| 5B | Sandy Layman | Republican | 2017 |
| 6A | Julie Sandstede | Democratic | 2017 |
| 6B | Dave Lislegard | Democratic | 2019 |
| 7A | Jennifer Schultz | Democratic | 2015 |
| 7B | Liz Olson | Democratic | 2017 |
| 8A | Bud Nornes | Republican | 1997 |
| 8B | Mary Franson | Republican | 2011 |
| 9A | John Poston | Republican | 2017 |
| 9B | Ron Kresha | Republican | 2013 |
| 10A | Josh Heintzeman | Republican | 2015 |
| 10B | Dale Lueck | Republican | 2015 |
| 11A | Mike Sundin | Democratic | 2013 |
| 11B | Jason Rarick | Republican | 2015 |
| 12A | Jeff Backer | Republican | 2015 |
| 12B | Paul Anderson | Republican | 2009 |
| 13A | Lisa Demuth | Republican | 2019 |
| 13B | Tim O'Driscoll | Republican | 2011 |
| 14A | Tama Theis | Republican | 2013 |
| 14B | Dan Wolgamott | Democratic | 2019 |
| 15A | Sondra Erickson | Republican | 2011 |
| 15B | Shane Mekeland | Republican | 2019 |
| 16A | Chris Swedzinski | Republican | 2011 |
| 16B | Paul Torkelson | Republican | 2009 |
| 17A | Tim Miller | Republican | 2015 |
| 17B | Dave Baker | Republican | 2015 |
| 18A | Dean Urdahl | Republican | 2003 |
| 18B | Glenn Gruenhagen | Republican | 2011 |
| 19A | Jeff Brand | Democratic | 2019 |
| 19B | Jack Considine | Democratic | 2015 |
| 20A | Bob Vogel | Republican | 2015 |
| 20B | Todd Lippert | Democratic | 2019 |
| 21A | Barb Haley | Republican | 2017 |
| 21B | Steve Drazkowski | Republican | 2007 |
| 22A | Joe Schomacker | Republican | 2011 |
| 22B | Rod Hamilton | Republican | 2005 |
| 23A | Bob Gunther | Republican | 1995 |
| 23B | Jeremy Munson | Republican | 2018 |
| 24A | John Petersburg | Republican | 2013 |
| 24B | Brian Daniels | Republican | 2015 |
| 25A | Duane Quam | Republican | 2011 |
| 25B | Duane Sauke | Democratic | 2017 |
| 26A | Tina Liebling | Democratic | 2005 |
| 26B | Nels Pierson | Republican | 2015 |
| 27A | Peggy Bennett | Republican | 2015 |
| 27B | Jeanne Poppe | Democratic | 2005 |
| 28A | Gene Pelowski Jr. | Democratic | 1987 |
| 28B | Greg Davids | Republican | 2008 |
| 29A | Joe McDonald | Republican | 2011 |
| 29B | Marion O'Neill | Republican | 2013 |
| 30A | Nick Zerwas | Republican | 2013 |
| 30B | Eric Lucero | Republican | 2015 |
| 31A | Kurt Daudt | Republican | 2011 |
| 31B | Calvin Bahr | Republican | 2017 |
| 32A | Brian Johnson | Republican | 2013 |
| 32B | Anne Neu | Republican | 2017 |
| 33A | Jerry Hertaus | Republican | 2013 |
| 33B | Kelly Morrison | Democratic | 2019 |
| 34A | Kristin Robbins | Republican | 2019 |
| 34B | Kristin Bahner | Democratic | 2019 |
| 35A | John Heinrich | Republican | 2019 |
| 35B | Peggy Scott | Republican | 2009 |
| 36A | Zack Stephenson | Democratic | 2019 |
| 36B | Melissa Hortman | Democratic | 2005 |
| 37A | Erin Koegel | Democratic | 2017 |
| 37B | Nolan West | Republican | 2017 |
| 38A | Linda Runbeck | Republican | 2011 |
| 38B | Ami Wazlawik | Democratic | 2019 |
| 39A | Bob Dettmer | Republican | 2007 |
| 39B | Shelly Christensen | Democratic | 2019 |
| 40A | Michael Nelson | Democratic | 2003 |
| 40B | Samantha Vang | Democratic | 2019 |
| 41A | Connie Bernardy | Democratic | 2013 |
| 41B | Mary Kunesh-Podein | Democratic | 2017 |
| 42A | Kelly Moller | Democratic | 2019 |
| 42B | Jamie Becker-Finn | Democratic | 2017 |
| 43A | Peter Fischer | Democratic | 2013 |
| 43B | Leon Lillie | Democratic | 2005 |
| 44A | Ginny Klevorn | Democratic | 2019 |
| 44B | Patty Acomb | Democratic | 2019 |
| 45A | Lyndon Carlson | Democratic | 1973 |
| 45B | Mike Freiberg | Democratic | 2013 |
| 46A | Ryan Winkler | Democratic | 2019 |
| 46B | Cheryl Youakim | Democratic | 2019 |
| 47A | Jim Nash | Republican | 2015 |
| 47B | Greg Boe | Republican | 2019 |
| 48A | Laurie Pryor | Democratic | 2017 |
| 48B | Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn | Democratic | 2019 |
| 49A | Heather Edelson | Democratic | 2019 |
| 49B | Steve Elkins | Democratic | 2019 |
| 50A | Michael Howard | Democratic | 2019 |
| 50B | Andrew Carlson | Democratic | 2017 |
| 51A | Sandra Masin | Democratic | 2013 |
| 51B | Laurie Halverson | Democratic | 2013 |
| 52A | Rick Hansen | Democratic | 2005 |
| 52B | Ruth Richardson | Democratic | 2019 |
| 53A | Tou Xiong | Democratic | 2019 |
| 53B | Steve Sandell | Democratic | 2019 |
| 54A | Anne Claflin | Democratic | 2019 |
| 54B | Tony Jurgens | Republican | 2017 |
| 55A | Brad Tabke | Democratic | 2019 |
| 55B | Tony Albright | Republican | 2013 |
| 56A | Hunter Cantrell | Democratic | 2019 |
| 56B | Alice Mann | Democratic | 2019 |
| 57A | Robert Bierman | Democratic | 2019 |
| 57B | John Huot | Democratic | 2019 |
| 58A | Jon Koznick | Republican | 2015 |
| 58B | Pat Garofalo | Republican | 2005 |
| 59A | Fue Lee | Democratic | 2017 |
| 59B | Raymond Dehn | Democratic | 2013 |
| 60A | Diane Loeffler | Democratic | 2005 |
| 60B | Mohamud Noor | Democratic | 2019 |
| 61A | Frank Hornstein | Democratic | 2003 |
| 61B | Jamie Long | Democratic | 2019 |
| 62A | Hodan Hassan | Democratic | 2019 |
| 62B | Aisha Gomez | Democratic | 2019 |
| 63A | Jim Davnie | Democratic | 2001 |
| 63B | Jean Wagenius | Democratic | 1987 |
| 64A | Kaohly Her | Democratic | 2019 |
| 64B | Dave Pinto | Democratic | 2015 |
| 65A | Rena Moran | Democratic | 2011 |
| 65B | Carlos Mariani | Democratic | 1991 |
| 66A | Alice Hausman | Democratic | 1989 |
| 66B | John Lesch | Democratic | 2003 |
| 67A | Tim Mahoney | Democratic | 1999 |
| 67B | Jay Xiong | Democratic | 2019 |
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[10] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $51,750/year | For senators: $86/day. For representatives: $66/day. |
When sworn in
Minnesota legislators assume office the first day of the biennial (two-year) session.[11] Minnesota law states, "The legislature shall meet at the seat of government on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year. When the first Monday in January falls on January 1, it shall meet on the first Wednesday after the first Monday. It shall also meet when called by the governor to meet in special session."[12]
Membership qualifications
To be eligible to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives, a candidate must:[13]
- Be eligible to vote in Minnesota
- Have not filed for more than one office for the upcoming primary or general election
- Be at least 21 years old
- Be a resident of Minnesota for at least one year
- Be a resident of the legislative district for at least 6 months before the general election date
Legislation: all legislation passed by the chamber in the current or most recent legislative session
Legislation
The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.
Sessions: legislative sessions dates, special sessions, and key events
Sessions
About legislative sessions in Minnesota
The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[14] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.
Article IV of the Minnesota Constitution establishes when the Minnesota State Legislature, of which the House is a part, is to be in session. Section 12 of Article IV states that the Legislature is not to meet in regular session for more than 120 legislative days in each two-year period between legislative elections. Section 12 also does not allow the Legislature to meet in regular session after the first Monday following the third Saturday in May of any year. Within these limits, Section 12 allows the Legislature to decide its meeting dates by law.
As such, MN Statute 3.011 establishes that on odd numbered years the legislature must convene on the first Monday in January, unless that lands on January 1, in which case the legislature must convene by the first Wednesday after the first Monday. The legislature is required to set its own date for even numbered years.
Section 12 of Article IV states that the Governor of Minnesota can call special sessions of the Legislature on extraordinary occasions.
Dates of legislative sessions in Minnesota by year
2025
In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 14, 2025, and adjourn on May 19, 2025.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on February 12, 2024, and adjourn on May 20, 2024. 2023In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2023, and adjourn on May 22, 2023. 2022In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 31, 2022, and adjourn on May 23, 2022. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 5, 2021, and adjourn on May 17, 2021. 2020In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on February 11, 2020, and adjourn on May 17, 2020.
Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Minnesota State Legislature suspended some legislative activity, effective March 17, 2020, through April 7, 2020. Under the suspension, floor sessions and committee hearings were called only "when legislative leaders have agreed-upon legislation that needs to be acted upon." The legislature adjourned on May 17, 2020. A special session convened on June 12, 2020. The special session adjourned on June 19, 2020. Another special session convened on July 13, 2020, and adjourned on July 21, 2020. A third special session convened on August 12, 2020, and adjourned the same day.[15][16] 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 8, 2019, through May 20, 2019. 2018In 2018, the legislature was in session from February 20, 2018, through May 21, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 3, 2017, through May 22, 2017. The legislature held a special session from May 23 to May 26.
2016
In 2016, the legislature was in session from March 8 through May 23. 2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 6 through May 18. Major issues in 2015Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included how to manage a $1 billion surplus, a possible gasoline tax increase, road and bridge maintenance, education funding, and the state health care exchange.[24] 2014
In 2014, the legislature was in session from February 25 to May 19. Major issues in 2014Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included passing a bonding bill, how to use a projected $800 million surplus, heating costs, the minimum wage, and bullying.[25][26] 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 8 to May 20. Major issues in 2013Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included a tax bill, establishing a health care exchange, same-sex marriage, education funding, regulation of firearm ownership, and oil fracking.[27] Tax increaseA bill designed to generate $2.1 billion in new revenue passed the Senate 36-30 and the House 69-65 on May 20, 2013. Governor Mark Dayton (D) signed the tax bill into law on May 23, 2013. This legislation sponsored by Senator Rod Skoe (D) and Representative Ann Lenczewski (D) increased cigarette taxes by $1.60 per pack and created a higher income tax rate for upper-income earners. The bill created a tax rate of 9.85 percent for individuals earning $150,000 per year and couples earning $250,000 per year. Increased revenue was intended to fund an expansion of the Mayo Clinic, assist in building a new football stadium for the Minnesota Vikings, and fill a $627 million budget deficit.[28][29] 2012
In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 24 to May 10. 2011In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 4 to May 23. Session highlightsGovernment shutdownMinnesota's 2011 legislative session was marked by a 20-day government shutdown that saw state parks and highway rest stops shuttered, 22,000 state employees laid off, road construction projects stopped, and even an inability for beer vendors to restock their product due to expired state licenses.[30] The shutdown, Minnesota's second in six years, resulted after Democratic Governor Mark Dayton and the Republican-controlled legislature failed to agree on a budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal biennium. Dayton said he wanted to create $1.8 billion in new revenues in the form of new taxes on the state's high earners, while Republicans said the state's $5 billion budget deficit should be made up solely through spending cuts. As a result, with the exception of some critical services, Minnesota's government officially shut down when the previous fiscal year's budget expired on July 1. Ultimately, the conflict ended in compromise. In an agreement signed on July 20, Dayton agreed to give up his request for tax increases, while Republicans agreed to $1.4 billion more in spending than they wanted. A significant portion of the deficit was funded by borrowing or withholding aid payments to school districts. During the shutdown, a minor controversy surrounded 138 legislators who continued to accept pay during the shutdown after 62 of their colleagues and Governor Mark Dayton refused to do so. Ultimately, 65 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of Republicans chose to receive their pay.[31] 2010In 2010, the legislature was in session from February 4 to March 17. |
Procedures: rules and procedures for veto overrides, the budget, and vacancies
Procedures
Every state legislature throughout the country features it own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Minnesota are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.
| Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 90 of the 134 members in the Minnesota House of Representatives and 45 of the 67 members in the Minnesota State Senate. Minnesota is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
Authority: Article IV, Section 23 of the Minnesota Constitution.
| "Every bill passed in conformity to the rules of each house and the joint rules of the two houses shall be presented to the governor. If he approves a bill, he shall sign it, deposit it in the office of the secretary of state and notify the house in which it originated of that fact. If he vetoes a bill, he shall return it with his objections to the house in which it originated. His objections shall be entered in the journal. If, after reconsideration, two-thirds of that house agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the governor's objections, to the other house, which shall likewise reconsider it. If approved by two-thirds of that house it becomes a law and shall be deposited in the office of the secretary of state." |
Role in state budget
- See also: Minnesota state budget and finances
| Minnesota on |
The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[32]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies between May and June of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
- State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor by October 15.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature on the fourth Tuesday in January. This deadline is extended to the third Tuesday in February for a newly elected governor.
- The legislature typically adopts a budget in May. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The biennium begins on July 1 of odd-numbered years.[33]
Minnesota is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[32][34]
The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget.[32]
Vacancies
Vacancies in the Minnesota State Legislature are filled through election. If there are more than 150 days before the next state general election, and the legislature will not be in session before the results are canvassed, then any vacancy is filled at the next state general election.[35][36]
If the vacancy happens during the legislative session, the governor has five days to issue a writ calling for a special election. The election must take place no more than 35 days after the issuance of the writ. If the legislature is out of session and there are fewer than 150 days before the next state general election, the governor must call for a special election so the winner of the election can take office when the legislature reconvenes.[36][37]
See sources: Minnesota Cons. Art. 4, § 4 and Minnesota Stat. § 204D.19
Committees: role and list of current committees
Committees
Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.
- Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
- Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
- Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.
Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Minnesota House of Representatives has 22 standing committees:
- Agriculture Finance
- Agriculture Policy
- Capital Investment
- Civil Law and Data Practices
- Commerce and Regulatory Reform
- Education
- Education Innovation
- Environment and Natural Resources
- Ethics
- Government Operations and Elections
- Health and Human Services Finance
- Health and Human Services Reform
- Higher Education and Career Readiness
- Job Growth and Energy Affordability
- Legacy Funding
- Public Safety and Security
- Rules and Legislative Administration
- State Government
- Taxes
- Transportation
- Transportation and Regional Governance
- Ways and Means
Districts
- See also: Minnesota state legislative districts
The state of Minnesota has 201 legislative districts. Each district elects one representative. The state Senate has 67 districts and the state House has 134 districts.
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Minnesota
In Minnesota, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the Minnesota State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[38]
The Minnesota Constitution requires "that state Senate districts be contiguous, and that Representative districts be nested within Senate districts." State statutes apply contiguity requirements to all congressional and state legislative districts. Furthermore, state statutes stipulate that political subdivisions should not be divided "more than necessary."[38]
2010 census
Minnesota received its local census data on March 16, 2011. The state's population increased 7.8 percent, even though four of the five most populated cities showed slight decreases in population; only Rochester (pop. 106,769, up 24.4 percent) showed growth.[39]
At the time of redistricting, Republicans controlled the Legislature, and Democrats the governorship; redistricting was expected to favor Republicans as Democrats held numerous underrepresented districts. Governor Mark Dayton vetoed the legislative plan on May 19, 2011. In June 2011, a panel created by the Minnesota Supreme Court took over the process when it heard lawsuits over the matter, even though the Legislature's deadline of February 2012 had not yet come up. On February 21, 2012, the panel released a final map, pairing 30 incumbents in the House.
See also
| Elections | Minnesota State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
Footnotes
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar," accessed June 15, 2017
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Minnesota 2010 - Candidates," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Minnesota 2008 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Minnesota 2006 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Minnesota 2004 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Minnesota 2002 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Minnesota 2000 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Minnesota House of Representatives, "Rules of the Minnesota House of Representatives - Article VII - Officers of the House," accessed June 23, 2014 (Referenced Rule 7.01)
- ↑ Minnesota House of Representatives, "Leadership of the Minnesota House of Representatives 2013 - 2014," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Minnesota Statutes, "Chapter 3, Section 3.05," accessed December 17, 2013
- ↑ Minnesota Statutes, "Chapter 3, Section 3.011," accessed December 17, 2013
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Filing for Office," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
- ↑ Redwood Falls Gazette, "Minnesota state legislature suspends its business until April 14," March 22, 2020
- ↑ Post Bulletin, "Minnesota Legislature to return Thursday to take up COVID-19 response," March 25, 2020
- ↑ CBS Minnesota, "Gov. Dayton Says He’s ‘Genuinely Undecided’ On All Budget Bills," May 26, 2017
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 StarTribune, "Dayton signs 10 budget bills and tax cuts, but defunds Legislature," May 31, 2017
- ↑ StarTribune, "Judge strikes down Gov. Mark Dayton's veto of Legislature's budget; Dayton plans appeal," July 19, 2017
- ↑ KSTP 5, "Dayton Says He Will Appeal Judge's Ruling his Veto was Unconstitutional," July 19, 2017
- ↑ CBS Minnesota, "Arguments In Supreme Court Case Between Legislature, Dayton Begin Monday," August 27, 2017
- ↑ Twin Cities, "Legislature restores its $130M budget, concluding legal battle with Dayton," February 22, 2018
- ↑ CBS Minnesota, "Gov. Dayton Signs Legislative Budget Into Law," February 26, 2018
- ↑ Daily Globe, "Lawmakers face long list of issues," January 4, 2015
- ↑ Twin Cities Daily Planet, "Previewing the 2014 Minnesota legislative session: Issues and contrasting agendas," February 24, 2014
- ↑ KXLT, "Minnesota Legislature now in session," February 25, 2014
- ↑ minnesota.publicradio.org, "Minnesota Legislature preview: 10 issues to watch," January 4, 2013
- ↑ Minnesota House of Representatives, "Property tax relief, new fourth tier rate highlight conferred tax bill," May 20, 2013
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "States' Rift on Taxes Widens," May 23, 2013
- ↑ CNNMoney, "Minnesota shutdown: It's over," July 20, 2011
- ↑ Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "138 legislators are collecting paychecks during shutdown," July 10, 2011
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ Minnesota Management and Budget, "Minnesota's Budget Process," accessed January 24, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, "Constitution of the State of Minnesota," accessed February 12, 2021 (Article 4, Section 4)
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, "2020 Minnesota Statutes," accessed February 12, 2021 (Statute 204D.19 (1)-(3))
- ↑ Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, "2020 Minnesota Statutes," accessed February 12, 2021 (Statute 204B.13)
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 All About Redistricting, "Minnesota," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Minnesota's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," March 16, 2011
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